Is Facebook a Serious Threat to Google?

Wired magazine certainly seems to think that Facebook could be a serious threat to Google. The following quote from Wired's article shows why Facebook could be a serious competitor to Google.

"...over the past year, Facebook has gone from glass-jawed flyweight to legitimate contender. It has become one of the most popular online destinations. More than 200 million people—about one-fifth of all Internet users—have Facebook accounts. They spend an average of 20 minutes on the site every day. Facebook has stolen several well-known Google employees, from COO Sheryl Sandburg to chef Josef Desimone; at least 9 percent of its staff used to work for the search giant. And since last December, Facebook has launched a series of ambitious initiatives, designed to make the social graph an even more integral part of a user's online experience. Even some Googlers concede that Facebook represents a growing threat. "Eventually, we are going to collide," one executive says."

SOURCE

Yet, I tend to wonder if comparing Facebook to Google is like comparing Apple's to Oranges (or Apple to Dell). They're different companies going after different audiences. Most of what happens on Facebook stays on Facebook, and most of it is indeed "social networking" which tends to be rather unproductive. The spam content on Facebook does seem to be rather low at the moment, but the potential for it is definitely there and growing. Google has so far branded themselves more for the serious power user than for "social networking." However, that is not saying that Facebook doesn't have some serious potential as an advertising medium, I just do not think that they will ever be a serious competitor to Google.